Language Testing and Validation: An Evidence-based Approach

Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics is an international book series from Palgrave Macmillan which brings together leading researchers and teachers in Applied Linguistics to provide readers with the knowledge and tools they need to undertake their own practice-related research. Books in the series are designed for students and researchers in Applied Linguistics, TESOL, Language Education and related subject areas, and for language professionals keen to extend their research experience.

This book follows the rationale and structure of the Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics Series in first providing a theoretical overview of the field, followed by detail of how this works in practice and then suggesting focuses and methods for researching key areas. In Part 1 we map out the types of validation evidence we need to provide if we are to have any confidence that the results of performance on a test give us an accurate picture of the underlying abilities or constructs we are attempting to measure. In Part 2 we unpack validity further in relation to actual examples and procedures taken from tests from around the world and provide an evidence-based validity framework for asking questions of any exam or form of assessment. In Part 3 we suggest a number of research activities, which will generate data on whether a test matches up to various criteria in the framework. Lastly, in Part 4, we detail a number of electronic and paper-based resources.

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Language Testing and Assessment: An advanced resource book

The target audience for the series is upper undergraduates and postgraduates on language, applied linguistics and communication studies programmes as well as teachers and researchers in professional development and distance learning programmes. High-quality applied research resources are also much needed for teachers of EFL/ESL and foreign language students at higher education colleges and universities worldwide.

This book has three main sections, each made up of approximately ten units:

A: An Introduction section: in which the key terms and concepts are introduced, including introductory activities and reflective tasks, designed to establish key understandings, terminology, techniques of analysis and the skills appropriate to the theme and the discipline.

B: An Extension section: in which selected core readings are introduced (usually edited from the original) from existing books and articles, together with annotations and commentary, where appropriate. Each reading is introduced, annotated and commented on in the context of the whole book, and research/follow-up questions and tasks are added to enable fuller understanding of both theory and practice. In some cases, readings are short and synoptic and incorporated within a more general exposition.

C: An Exploration section: in which further samples and illustrative materials are provided with an emphasis, where appropriate, on more open-ended, studentcentred activities and tasks, designed to support readers and users in undertaking their own locally relevant research projects. Tasks are designed for work in groups or for individuals working on their own.

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Researching in Second Language Classroom

This book is addressed to novice researchers, whether they be graduate students, teachers, or administrators, who want to become familiar with methods commonly used in L2 classroom research. It is all about gathering evidence to answer questions about L2 teaching and learning. Whereas research methods differ in the kind of evidence they gather, all L2 classroom research involves the formulating of questions, as well as the gathering and analysis of evidence or data to answer these questions. The book begins with a general introduction to major research purposes and research types as they relate to classroom research. In chapter 2, Researching Teachers and Learners, research methods that can be used to examine teachers’ and learners’ attitudes and behavior are introduced. Chapter 3, Researching Classroom Discourse, deals with methods that can be used to study the oral and written discourse of classrooms. The book ends with a chapter on writing research papers, with attention to both thesis writing and journal articles.

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Questionnaires in Second Language Research

One of the most common methods of data collection in second language

(L2) research is to use questionnaires of various kinds. The popularity of questionnaires is due to the fact that they are easy to construct, extremely versatile, and uniquely capable of gathering a large amount of information quickly in a form that is readily processable. In spite of the wide application of questionnaires in the L2 field, there does not seem to be sufficient awareness in the profession about the theory of questionnaire design and processing. Although questionnaire design, and more generally, survey research, has a substantial literature in the social sciences, this has not been sufficiently reflected in L2 methodology texts. The structure of the book is straightforward. After an initial chapter that discusses the nature, the merits, and the shortcomings of questionnaires, separate chapters cover the construction and the administration of the questionnaire, as well as the processing of questionnaire data. The book is concluded by a detailed checklist that summarizes the main principles and recommendations.

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Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics

This dictionary includes the core vocabulary of both language teaching and applied linguistics. The field of language teaching is concerned with the development of language programs and courses, teaching methodology, materials development, second language acquisition theory, testing, teacher training and related areas. The dictionary includes terms from the following areas of study in the field of language teaching:

• teaching methods and approaches in language teaching
• curriculum development and syllabus design
• second language acquisition
• the teaching of listening, speaking, reading and writing
• computer assisted language learning
• teacher education in language teaching
• English grammar and pronunciation
• language testing, research methods, and basic statistics


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